The placement of electrically conductive wire, such as wire that carries electrical signals to operate computers, telephones, pager speakers, etc. can be a time consuming activity. This is especially true when the wire is to be placed in a high opened ceiling with exposed joists, rafters, heating/cooling ducts, pipes and other interfering objects. Normally, some type of pull string is attached to the wire to be installed and the string placed over the interfering ceiling object. Next, the pull string is pulled bring with it the attached wire to be installed over the interfering object.
In this placement process for the pull string some type of climbing is frequently involved. This may require the user to get up on a stepladder or a frame ladder to place the pull string over the interfering object. Also used for this purpose have been mechanical lifts with a lift operator and the string installer. In either event, the elevated installer is exposed to the danger of falling which can be a frightening experience especially when working over machinery, furnaces or any other dangerous objects below.
When it was desired to provide the wire installation without elevating the installer, several types of methods have been used. In one a user simply ties a string to a roll of tape and throws the tape from the floor over the higher interfering ceiling object. This throw method proved somewhat ineffective in many cases due to obstructing overhead objects and poor aim from the thrower. Therefore, installers, when remaining on the floor, started to use fiber glass poles to place the tape and its string over the interfering overhead objects. This pole installation method was further modified by using the pole with a piece of 6 gauge copper wire looped at its end that had the string tied to the loop. This modified installation method was used with more success for several years.
The present invention is a further improvement on the prior art pole/loop method of installation wherein a lightweight, nonconductive, rigid paddle structure is interposed between the pole's upper end and the wire loop while a unique paddle guide and pull string is employed near the paddle's opposite end as further described in this specification.